Project Planning Software

Why do you need a project planning software?

Creating a project plan is the first thing you should do when undertaking any kind of project. Often we ignore a project plan in favor of getting on with the work. We fail to realize the value of a project plan in saving time, money, resources etc. Thorough planning is needed to reduce much of the uncertainty surrounding the execution of the project.

Before you can build a project, the project plan helps you to decide what exactly the project is all about, what is the scope and how you can achieve this through your project.

A Project Plan

Can serve as a document of understanding with your clients / stakeholders

Is a key to ensure that all members are working together with a common objective

A guide for project managers, team members, partners, clients and stakeholderss

To plan such projects you need to set proper deliverables, assign resources, track length of an activity and estimate cost. For this, you need to have an effective project planning software which is easy-to-use and above all affordable. With Zoho Projects as your project planning software, you will have more time to do real work and will have to spend less time managing it.

Key Business Benefits of a Project Planning Software

Increased knowledge of project status through timely reports to management

Clear understanding of who does what, when and for how much

Proper schedules, continuous uninterrupted workflow with no delays and finish projects in time

Eliminates the need to remember all tasks and makes you more productive by sending timely reminders

Integration of all work to assure a quality project for the clients at reduced cost

Key Features

Set Project Baselines

The performance of the entire project is measured against the project's three starting points i,e the scope, schedule and cost. These provide the stakes in the ground, and are used to determine whether or not the project is on track during execution. They act as the baselines for proper execution of the project.

It is important for the project manager to get clarity and consent on what work needs to be done and by whom in the team. The manager should be aware of the decisions each stakeholder / client will make and how it will be achieved during the course of a project.

Develop Project Scope

The scope statement is arguably the most important one in the project plan and should include: Business needs, objectives, scope and benefits of completing the project. It can be treated like a contract between the project manager and stakeholder, one that can only be changed with stakeholder's approval.

Schedule Project Baselines

Once the project deliverables are confirmed in the scope statement, they need to be developed into a work breakdown structure (WBS) of all the deliverables. The scope includes all the deliverables need to be produced on the project, and therefore identifies all the work to be done.

Communicate Project Plan

One important aspect of project plan is the communication plan. A communication plan must state: Who on the project wants which reports and how often, How issues will be escalated, who will solve it and when and Where project information will be stored, in what format and who can access it.